FinFET devices with dummy fins having multiple dielectric layers

ABSTRACT

A semiconductor device includes a substrate; semiconductor fins over the substrate and oriented lengthwise along a first direction; first multi-dielectric-layer (MDL) fins and second MDL fins over the substrate and oriented lengthwise along the first direction, wherein the first and the second MDL fins are intermixed with the semiconductor fins, wherein each of the first MDL fins and the second MDL fins includes an outer dielectric layer and an inner dielectric layer, wherein the outer dielectric layer and the inner dielectric layer have different dielectric materials; and gate structures oriented lengthwise along a second direction generally perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the gate structures are spaced from each other along the first direction, and are separated by the first MDL fins along the second direction, wherein the gate structures engage the semiconductor fins and the second MDL fins.

PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/958,542, filed Apr. 20, 2018, herein incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

BACKGROUND

The semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry has experiencedexponential growth. Technological advances in IC materials and designhave produced generations of ICs where each generation has smaller andmore complex circuits than the previous generation. In the course of ICevolution, functional density (i.e., the number of interconnecteddevices per chip area) has generally increased while geometry size(i.e., the smallest component (or line) that can be created using afabrication process) has decreased. This scaling down process generallyprovides benefits by increasing production efficiency and loweringassociated costs. Such scaling down has also increased the complexity ofprocessing and manufacturing ICs and, for these advancements to berealized, similar developments in IC processing and manufacturing areneeded.

For example, in FinFET fabrication processes, it has become challengingto continually increase fin density and decrease fin geometry whileproviding high circuit performance. On the one hand, the market demandshigher device integration, which means more FinFETs (hence, more fins)per unit wafer area. This leads to very narrow fin-to-fin space betweenadjacent FinFETs. On the other hand, the narrow fin-to-fin space limitsthe growth of S/D epitaxial features in order to prevent accidentalshorting of the S/D features. When S/D epitaxial features becomesmaller, there is less landing area for S/D contacts, thus leading toincreased S/D contact resistance. Furthermore, narrow fin-to-fin spacealso increases coupling capacitance between adjacent gate structures.Both the increased S/D contact resistance and the increased couplingcapacitance adversely impact the device performance. Accordingly,improvements in these areas of FinFET fabrication are desirable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the followingdetailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It isemphasized that, in accordance with the standard practice in theindustry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, thedimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased orreduced for clarity of discussion.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are top views of a portion of a semiconductor device,according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views of the portion of thesemiconductor device in FIG. 1 (or FIG. 2) along the A-A and B-B linesof FIG. 1 (or FIG. 2), respectively, according to some embodiments ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates cross-sectional views of two multi-dielectric-layer(MDL) fins according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the portion of the semiconductordevice in FIG. 1 along the B-B line of FIG. 1, according to someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a top view of a portion of a semiconductor device, accordingto some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are cross-sectional views of the portion of thesemiconductor device in FIG. 7 along the C-C and D-D lines of FIG. 7,respectively, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 10 and 11 are cross-sectional views of the portion of thesemiconductor device in FIG. 1 along the A-A line of FIG. 1, accordingto some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a top view of a portion of a semiconductor device, accordingto some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 13 and 14 are cross-sectional views of the portion of thesemiconductor device in FIG. 12 along the E-E and F-F lines of FIG. 12,respectively, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 is a top view of a portion of a semiconductor device, accordingto some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the portion of the semiconductordevice in FIG. 15 along the G-G line of FIG. 15, according to someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 17 and 18 are cross-sectional views of a portion of asemiconductor device, according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIGS. 19 and 20 are cross-sectional views of the portion of thesemiconductor device in FIG. 1 along the A-A and B-B lines of FIG. 1,respectively, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 21 illustrates cross-sectional views of two multi-dielectric-layer(MDL) fins according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view of the portion of the semiconductordevice in FIG. 1 along the B-B line of FIG. 1, according to someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 23 and 24 are cross-sectional views of the portion of thesemiconductor device in FIG. 7 along the C-C and D-D lines of FIG. 7,respectively, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 25 and 26 are cross-sectional views of the portion of thesemiconductor device in FIG. 1 along the A-A line of FIG. 1, accordingto some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view of the portion of the semiconductordevice in FIG. 12 along the E-E line of FIG. 12, according to someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view of the portion of the semiconductordevice in FIG. 7 along the G-G line of FIG. 15, according to someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 29 and 30 are cross-sectional views of a portion of asemiconductor device, according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, orexamples, for implementing different features of the provided subjectmatter. Specific examples of components and arrangements are describedbelow to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merelyexamples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, the formationof a first feature over or on a second feature in the description thatfollows may include embodiments in which the first and second featuresare formed in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in whichadditional features may be formed between the first and second features,such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact. Inaddition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/orletters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose ofsimplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationshipbetween the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.

Further, spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,”“above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease ofdescription to describe one element or feature's relationship to anotherelement(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. The spatiallyrelative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of thedevice in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted inthe figures. The apparatus may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degreesor at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors usedherein may likewise be interpreted accordingly. Still further, when anumber or a range of numbers is described with “about,” “approximate,”and the like, the term is intended to encompass numbers that are withina reasonable range including the number described, such as within +/−10%of the number described or other values as understood by person skilledin the art. For example, the term “about 5 nm” encompasses the dimensionrange from 4.5 nm to 5.5 nm.

The present disclosure is generally related to semiconductor devices andmethods of forming the same. More particularly, the present disclosureis related to fin isolation structures. An object of the presentdisclosure is to provide dielectric fins between adjacent semiconductorfins for isolation purposes (e.g., isolating adjacent semiconductor finsas well as isolating adjacent S/D epitaxial features). Specifically,each dielectric fin includes multiple dielectric layers, and is referredto as a multi-dielectric-layer (MDL) fin. The MDL fin includes a firstdielectric layer having a first dielectric material, and a seconddielectric layer having a second dielectric material, wherein the firstand the second dielectric materials have different dielectric constants.For example, one of the first and the second dielectric materials has adielectric constant equal to or less than 5, and the other one of thedielectric materials has a dielectric constant equal to or greater than7. The lower-dielectric-constant material helps reduce couplingcapacitance between adjacent gate structures (and between adjacentsemiconductor fins). The higher-dielectric-constant material provideshigher etch selectivity in subsequent etching processes and maintainsits height so that the MDL fins can effectively isolate adjacent S/Depitaxial features. These and other benefits of the MDL fins will bediscussed in more detail below. In some embodiments, the MDL fins mayinclude more than two dielectric layers.

The various accompanying figures (FIGS. 1-30) show top andcross-sectional views of a portion of a semiconductor device 100 invarious embodiments, according to aspects of the present disclosure. Thedevice (or structure) 100 is provided for illustration purposes and doesnot necessarily limit the embodiments of the present disclosure to anynumber of transistors, any number of regions, or any configuration ofstructures or regions. Furthermore, the device 100 may be an IC, or aportion thereof, that may comprise static random access memory (SRAM)and/or standard logic circuits, passive components such as resistors,capacitors, and inductors, and active components such as p-type fieldeffect transistors (PFETs), n-type FETs (NFETs), multi-gate FETs such asFinFETs and gate all-around (GAA) FETs, metal-oxide semiconductor fieldeffect transistors (MOSFETs), complementary metal-oxide semiconductor(CMOS) transistors, bipolar transistors, high voltage transistors, highfrequency transistors, other memory cells, and combinations thereof.

FIG. 1 shows a top view of the device 100, and FIGS. 3 and 4 showcross-sectional views of the device 100 along the A-A and B-B lines ofFIG. 1, respectively. Referring to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4 collectively, thedevice 100 includes a substrate 102 and multiple cells (or devices)formed over the substrate 102. Each of the cells includes CMOS FinFETsand may perform a standard logic function such as INV, AND, OR, NAND,NOR, and D flip-flop. Therefore, each cell may also be referred to as aCMOS cell or a standard logic cell. The boundary of the cells is definedby isolation structures 116 and MDL fins 114 b from the top view. Theisolation structures 116 are oriented lengthwise along the X directionand the MDL fins 114 b are oriented lengthwise along the Y direction.Therefore, each cell has a rectangular shape from the top view, whichsimplifies the layout of the device 100.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, multiple active regions (e.g., wells) 104Pand 104N are defined in the substrate 102. The active regions 104P areof P-conductivity type (e.g., doped with p-type impurities such asboron), and are suitable for forming NMOSFETs (e.g., n-type FinFETs).The active regions 104N are of N-conductivity type (e.g., doped withn-type impurities such as phosphorous), and are suitable for formingPMOSFETs (e.g., p-type FinFETs). The device 100 further includessemiconductor fins 110 and 112. The semiconductor fins 110 are ofP-conductivity type and are suitable for forming n-type FinFETs, and thesemiconductor fins 112 are of N-conductivity type and are suitable forforming p-type FinFETs. Each cell includes at least one semiconductorfin 110 and at least one semiconductor fin 112 to make up one or moreCMOSFETs therein.

The device 100 further includes MDL fins 114 a and 114 b. Thesemiconductor fins 110 and 112 and the MDL fins 114 a and 114 b areoriented lengthwise along the Y direction, and are spaced from eachother along the X direction. The MDL fins 114 a and 114 b are intermixedwith the semiconductor fins 110 and 112 for isolating the semiconductorfins 110 and 112. Particularly, each of the MDL fins 114 a includes adielectric layer 134 a and another dielectric layer 136 a. Thedielectric material(s) of the dielectric layer 134 a has a lowerdielectric constant than the dielectric material(s) of the dielectriclayer 136 a in the present embodiment. Similarly, each of the MDL fins114 b includes a dielectric layer 134 b and another dielectric layer 136b. The dielectric material(s) of the dielectric layer 134 b has a lowerdielectric constant than the dielectric material(s) of the dielectriclayer 136 b in the present embodiment. The top surface of the dielectriclayer 136 a is higher than the top surface of the dielectric layer 136 bin this view. The top surface of the dielectric layer 134 a is higherthan the top surface of the dielectric layer 134 b in this view. Thematerials and the configuration of the MDL fins 114 a and 114 b will befurther discussed in later sections of the present disclosure.

The device 100 further includes an isolation structure 106 over thesubstrate 102. The semiconductor fins 110 and 112 and the MDL fins 114 aand 114 b are partially embedded in the isolation structure 106.Referring to FIG. 1, the device 100 further includes dielectricisolation structures 116 and gate structures 118, which are orientedlengthwise along the X direction, and are spaced from each other alongthe Y direction. Particularly, the features 116 and 118 are separated bythe MDL fins 114 b along the X direction. The isolation structure 116may include silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride,fluoride-doped silicate glass (FSG), a low-k dielectric material, and/orother suitable insulating material. The gate structures 118 may behigh-k metal gates in an embodiment. The gate structures 118 engage thesemiconductor fins 110 and 112 in each cell to form FinFETs. The gatestructures 118 are also disposed over the MDL fins 114 a. Thesemiconductor fins 110 and 112 are separated by the dielectric isolationstructures 116 along the Y direction. The device 100 further includesgate spacers 120 over sidewalls of the gate structures 118 and oversidewalls of the isolation structures 116.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, the device 100 further includes S/Depitaxial features 122 and 124 over the semiconductor fins 110 and 112,respectively. The S/D epitaxial features 122 and 124 are disposed onopposite sides of the respective gate structures 118. In the presentembodiment, the S/D epitaxial features 122 and 124 are doped with n-typedopants and p-type dopants, respectively. Adjacent S/D epitaxialfeatures 122 and 124 are separated by the MDL fins 114 a and 114 b.Particularly, the dielectric layers 136 a and 136 b in the MDL fins 114a and 114 b are high enough to prevent nearby S/D epitaxial features 122and 124 from merging with each other. The dielectric layers 136 a and136 b in this view have about the same height. The dielectric layers 134a and 134 b in this view have about the same height.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the device 100 according to anotherembodiment of the present disclosure. The device 100 in this embodimentis substantially the same as the device 100 in FIG. 1 with twodifferences. The first difference is that the semiconductor fins 110 and112 are not broken at the standard cell boundary in this embodiment, butextend continuously through multiple cells. The second difference isthat the isolation structures 116 are replaced by gate structures 126and 128 in this embodiment. The gate structures 126 and 128 may have thesame materials and configuration as the gate structures 118, but aretied to constant low voltage (e.g., GND) and constant high voltage(e.g., Vdd), respectively. The FinFETs associated with the gatestructures 126 and 128 become inactive and act as isolation MOSFETs atthe cell boundary. The cross-sectional views of the device 100 in thisembodiment along the A-A line and the B-B line of FIG. 2 are the same asthose shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively.

The device 100 may further include other components not shown in FIGS.1-4, such as an etch stop layer over the S/D epitaxial layers 122 and124, pre-metallization dielectric (PMD) layer(s), interlayer dielectric(ILD) layers, vias and contacts, and metal lines for connecting variouscells in the IC.

The various components of the device 100 are further described below.The substrate 102 is a silicon substrate in the present embodiment.Alternatively, the substrate 102 may comprise another elementarysemiconductor, such as germanium; a compound semiconductor includingsilicon carbide, gallium arsenic, gallium phosphide, indium phosphide,indium arsenide, and/or indium antimonide; an alloy semiconductorincluding SiGe, GaAsP, AlInAs, AlGaAs, GaInAs, GaInP, and/or GaInAsP; orcombinations thereof. In yet another alternative, the substrate 102 is asemiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) such as having a buried dielectriclayer.

The semiconductor fins 110 and 112 may include one or more semiconductormaterials such as silicon, germanium, or silicon germanium. In anembodiment, each of the semiconductor fins 110 and 112 may includemultiple different semiconductor layers stacked one over the other. Thesemiconductor fins 110 and 112 may be fabricated using suitableprocesses including double-patterning or multi-patterning processes.Generally, double-patterning or multi-patterning processes combinephotolithography and self-aligned processes, allowing patterns to becreated that have, for example, pitches smaller than what is otherwiseobtainable using a single, direct photolithography process. For example,in one embodiment, a sacrificial layer is formed over a substrate andpatterned using a photolithography process. Spacers are formed alongsidethe patterned sacrificial layer using a self-aligned process. Thesacrificial layer is then removed, and the remaining spacers, ormandrels, may then be used to pattern the semiconductor fins 110 and 112by etching initial epitaxial semiconductor layers of the substrate 102.The etching process can include dry etching, wet etching, reactive ionetching (RIE), and/or other suitable processes. The semiconductor fins110 and 112 may be doped with proper dopants as discussed above.

The isolation structure 106 may include silicon oxide, silicon nitride,silicon oxynitride, fluoride-doped silicate glass (FSG), a low-kdielectric material, and/or other suitable insulating material. Theisolation structure 106 may be shallow trench isolation (STI) features.In an embodiment, the isolation structure 106 is formed by etchingtrenches in the substrate 102, e.g., as part of the fins 110 and 112formation process. The trenches may then be filled with isolatingmaterial, followed by a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) processand/or an etch-back process. In another embodiment, the isolationstructure 106 is formed by depositing a dielectric material over thesidewalls of the semiconductor fins 110 and 112 without fully fillingthe trenches between the semiconductor fins 110 and 112. In other words,the isolation structure 106 is formed as a fin sidewall spacer. Otherisolation structure such as field oxide, LOCal Oxidation of Silicon(LOCOS), and/or other suitable structures are possible. The isolationstructure 106 may include a multi-layer structure, for example, havingone or more thermal oxide liner layers.

In the present embodiment, each MDL fin 114 a is disposed between twosemiconductor fins that are of different conductivity types (i.e.,between a semiconductor fin 110 and a semiconductor fin 112), and eachMDL fin 114 b is disposed between two semiconductor fins that are ofsame conductivity type (i.e., between two semiconductor fins 110 orbetween a two semiconductor fins 112). The MDL fins 114 a and 114 b helpimprove the uniformity of the fin density, which benefits certainfabrication processes such as gate layer formation and metal layerformation. Each MDL fin 114 a includes a dielectric layer 134 a and adielectric layer 136 a. Each MDL fin 114 b includes a dielectric layer134 b and a dielectric layer 136 b. In this embodiment, the dielectriclayers 134 a and 134 b are the outer dielectric layers for the MDL fins114 a and 114 b, respectively; and the dielectric layers 136 a and 136 bare the inner dielectric layers for the MDL fins 114 a and 114 b,respectively, because they are disposed over the outer dielectric layers134 a and 134 b, respectively.

The dielectric material(s) in the dielectric layers 134 a and 134 b isdifferent from the dielectric material(s) in the dielectric layers 136 aand 136 b. In the present embodiment, the dielectric layers 134 a and134 b include a dielectric material having a dielectric constant equalto or less than 5, and the dielectric layers 136 a and 136 b include adielectric material having a dielectric constant equal to or greaterthan 7. For example, the dielectric layers 134 a and 134 b may includesilicon oxide (e.g., SiO₂), silicon oxycarbide (e.g., SiOC), siliconoxycarbide nitride (SiOCN), silicon oxide with carbon contents, siliconoxide with nitrogen contents, or a combination thereof. For example, thedielectric layers 136 a and 136 b may include a nitride baseddielectric, a metal oxide based dielectric, hafnium oxide (HfO₂),tantalum oxide (Ta₂O₅), titanium oxide (TiO₂), zirconium oxide (ZrO₂),aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), yttrium oxide (Y₂O₃), or a combination thereof.The lower dielectric constant material(s) in the dielectric layers 134 aand 134 b helps reduce the coupling capacitance between adjacent gatestructures 118. This helps improve the performance (e.g., switchingspeed) of the device 100. Meanwhile, the higher dielectric constantmaterial(s) in the dielectric layers 136 a and 136 b helps maintain theheight of the dielectric layers 136 a and 136 b during various etchingprocesses, such as the etching processes to recess the isolationstructure 106 and the etching processes to cut the gate structure 118.The height of the dielectric layers 136 a and 136 b helps isolateepitaxial features during S/D epitaxial growth process. For example, asshown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the dielectric layers 136 a and 136 b remaintall and stand between the S/D epitaxial features 122 and 124. The abovebenefits (e.g., reduced gate coupling capacitance and isolated S/Depitaxial features) cannot be achieved by a dielectric fin with only asingle dielectric material.

In an embodiment, the isolation structure 106 is deposited as a spacerlayer over the sidewalls of the semiconductor fins 110 and 112. Beforethe isolation structure 106 is recessed to be lower than thesemiconductor fins 110 and 112, the dielectric layers 134 a and 134 bare deposited over the sidewalls of the isolation structure 106 as aconformal layer, for example, having a thickness ranging from 1 nm to 15nm. Thereafter, the dielectric layers 136 a and 136 b are deposited tofill in the space between the dielectric layers 134 a and 134 b. Thedielectric layers 134 a, 134 b, 136 a, and 136 b may be deposited usingchemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), or othersuitable methods. Subsequently, the isolation structure 106 is recessed(e.g., by a chemical etching process) to be lower than the top surfaceof the semiconductor fins 110 and 112 and the top surface of the MDLfins 114 a and 114 b.

The gate structures 118 include a gate dielectric layer 130 and a gateelectrode layer 132. The gate dielectric layer 130 may include siliconoxide (SiO₂), silicon oxynitride (SiON), aluminum silicon oxide (AlSiO),a high-k dielectric material such as hafnium oxide (HfO₂), zirconiumoxide (ZrO₂), lanthanum oxide (La₂O₃), titanium oxide (TiO₂), yttriumoxide (Y₂O₃), strontium titanate (SrTiO₃), other suitable metal-oxides,or combinations thereof. The gate dielectric layer 130 may be depositedby chemical oxidation, thermal oxidation, atomic layer deposition (ALD),or other suitable methods. The gate electrode layer 132 may include awork function metal layer, a metal fill layer, and other suitable layerssuch as barrier layer(s) and capping layer(s). The work function metallayer may be a p-type or an n-type work function layer for the p-typeFinFETs and n-type FinFETs, respectively. The p-type work function layercomprises a metal such as titanium nitride (TiN), tantalum nitride(TaN), ruthenium (Ru), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), platinum (Pt), orcombinations thereof. The n-type work function layer comprises a metalsuch as titanium (Ti), aluminum (Al), tantalum carbide (TaC), tantalumcarbide nitride (TaCN), tantalum silicon nitride (TaSiN), orcombinations thereof. The work function metal layer may include aplurality of layers and may be deposited by CVD, physical vapordeposition (PVD), and/or other suitable process. The metal fill layermay include aluminum (Al), tungsten (W), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu),and/or other suitable materials. The metal fill layer may be formed byCVD, PVD, plating, and/or other suitable processes.

The gate spacer 120 may include one or more dielectric layers havingsilicon nitride (Si₃N₄), silicon oxide (SiO₂), silicon carbide (SiC),silicon carbide nitride (SiCN), silicon oxynitride (SiON), siliconoxycarbide (SiOC), silicon oxycarbide nitride (SiOCN), a low-kdielectric material, other materials, or a combination thereof. The gatespacer 120 may be formed by one or more methods including chemicaloxidation, thermal oxidation, ALD, CVD, and/or other suitable methods.

The S/D epitaxial features 122 may include epitaxially grownsemiconductor material(s) such as epitaxially grown silicon for n-typeFinFETs, and may additionally include one or more n-type dopants, suchas phosphorus or arsenic. The S/D epitaxial features 124 may includeepitaxially grown semiconductor material(s) such as epitaxially grownsilicon germanium for p-type FinFETs, and may additionally include oneor more p-type dopants, such as boron or indium. The S/D epitaxialfeatures 122 and 124 may be formed by a low-pressure CVD (LPCVD) processwith a silicon-based precursor, a selective epitaxial growth (SEG)process, a cyclic deposition and etching (CDE) process, or otherepitaxial growth processes. In the present embodiment, the dielectriclayer 136 a and 136 b are tall enough to prevent nearby S/D epitaxialfeatures 122 and 124 from accidentally shorting to each other.

FIG. 5 illustrates various dimensions of the MDL fins 114 a and 114 b.Referring to FIG. 5, the dielectric layer 134 a has a height H_(a1)(along the Z direction), the dielectric layer 136 a has a height H_(a2)as measured from the bottom of the dielectric layer 134 a. The heightH_(a2) is greater than the height H_(a1) by about 3 nm or more in thepresent embodiment (i.e., H_(a-delta)>=3 nm). The dielectric layer 134 ahas a thickness T_(a1) (along the X direction), and the dielectric layer136 a has a thickness T_(a2). In an embodiment, the thickness T_(a1) isin a range from about 1 nm to about 15 nm, and the thickness T_(a2) isin a range from about 2 nm to about 30 nm.

Still referring to FIG. 5, the dielectric layer 134 b has a heightH_(b1) (along the Z direction), the dielectric layer 136 b has a heightH_(b2) as measured from the bottom of the dielectric layer 134 b. Theheight H_(b2) is greater than the height H_(b1) by about 3 nm or more inthe present embodiment (i.e., H_(b-delta)>=3 nm). The dielectric layer134 b has a thickness T_(b1) (along the X direction), and the dielectriclayer 136 b has a thickness T_(b2). In an embodiment, the thicknessT_(b1) is in a range from about 1 nm to about 15 nm, and the thicknessT_(b2) is in a range from about 2 nm to about 30 nm. The thicknessT_(a2) and T_(b2) may be substantially the same in some embodiments asshown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In some embodiments as shown in FIG. 10, thethickness T_(a2) may be smaller than the thickness T_(b2). In someembodiments as shown in FIG. 11, the thickness T_(a2) may be greaterthan the thickness T_(b2).

In the cross-sectional view as illustrated in FIG. 3, the dielectriclayer 136 a is taller than the dielectric layer 136 b (i.e., a topsurface of the dielectric layer 136 a is higher than a top surface ofthe dielectric layer 136 b). Further, the dielectric layer 134 a istaller than the dielectric layer 134 b (i.e., a top surface of thedielectric layer 134 a is higher than a top surface of the dielectriclayer 134 b). This is due to some etching processes applied to the MDLfins 114 b while the MDL fins 114 a is covered under the gate structure118. In the cross-sectional view as illustrated in FIG. 4, thedielectric layers 134 a and 134 b have about the same height, and thedielectric layers 136 a and 136 b have about the same height. This isbecause the dielectric layers 134 a, 134 b, 136 a, and 136 b undergosubstantially the same etching processes in these areas.

FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the device 100 along theB-B line of FIG. 1 (or FIG. 2) according to some embodiment. Referringto FIG. 6, the S/D epitaxial features 122 and 124 are grown to maximumor near-maximum volume. In some instances, the S/D epitaxial features122 or 124 come into direct contact with adjacent dielectric layers 136a and 136 b. Without the dielectric layers 136 a and 136 b, some of theS/D epitaxial features 122 and 124 might accidentally merge, causingmanufacturing defects. In devices without the MDL fins 114 a and 114 b,in order to avoid such accidental merging, the volume of the S/Depitaxial features would need to be made small. Compared to thosedevices, the device 100 according to the present disclosure can providelarge S/D epitaxial features 122 and 124, which not only increase thestrain in the respective FinFETs (thus improving transistorperformance), but also increase S/D contact landing area for reduced S/Dcontact resistance. Having the MDL fins 114 a and 114 b in thisconfiguration allows each FinFET to have a single semiconductor fin (110or 112), which increases the density of standard cell circuit design andreduces cell active power and standby leakage due to narrow channelwidth.

FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of the device 100 according to anotherembodiment. FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate cross-sectional views of the device100 along the C-C line and the D-D line of FIG. 7, respectively.Referring to FIGS. 7-9, the device 100 in this embodiment issubstantially the same as the device 100 in FIGS. 1-6. However, thedevice 100 in this embodiment further includes another MDL fin 114 cdisposed at a cell boundary (i.e., the MDL fin 114 c is located betweentwo p-type FinFETs or between two n-type FinFETs). The MDL fin 114 cincludes one more dielectric layer than the MDL fins 114 a and 114 b.The MDL fin 114 c includes three dielectric layers: 134 c, 136 c, and138. The dielectric layer 134 c includes the same material(s) as thedielectric layers 134 a and 134 b. The dielectric layer 136 c includesthe same material(s) as the dielectric layers 136 a and 136 b. Thedielectric layer 134 c is the outer layer of the MDL fin 114 c. Thedielectric layer 136 c is disposed over the dielectric layer 134 c. Thedielectric layer 138 is disposed over the dielectric layer 136 c. In thepresent embodiment, the dielectric material(s) in the dielectric layer138 has a lower dielectric constant than the dielectric material(s) inthe dielectric layer 136 c. For example, the dielectric material(s) inthe dielectric layer 138 may have a dielectric constant equal to or lessthan 5. For example, the dielectric layer 138 may include silicon oxide(e.g., SiO₂), silicon oxycarbide (e.g., SiOC), silicon oxycarbidenitride (SiOCN), silicon oxide with carbon content, silicon oxide withnitrogen content, or a combination thereof. The materials in thedielectric layers 134 c and 138 may be the same or different in variousembodiments. The top surface of the dielectric layer 138 may be lowerthan the top surface of the dielectric layer 136 c, but higher than thetop surface of the dielectric layer 134 c in the present embodiment.Further, the MDL fin 114 c is wider than the MDL fins 114 a and 114 balong the X direction. In some embodiments, the MDL fin 114 c is widerthan the MDL fins 114 a and 114 b by more than 50% to provide bettercell-to-cell isolation. Other aspects of the device 100 in thisembodiment are the same as those in FIGS. 1 and 3-6, and are omitted forthe purpose of brevity.

FIG. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the device 100 cut alongthe A-A line of FIG. 1 (or FIG. 2), according to another embodiment. Inthis embodiment, the MDL fin 114 b is wider than the MDL fin 114 a alongthe X direction. For example, the dielectric layer 136 b may be widerthan the dielectric layer 136 a along the X direction, for example, byabout 20%, while the dielectric layers 134 a and 134 b may havesubstantially the same width. The MDL fins 114 b are disposed betweentwo adjacent cells. The wider dielectric layer 136 b provides betteretch resistivity during various etching processes. Other aspects of thedevice 100 in this embodiment are the same as those in FIGS. 1-6, andare omitted for the purpose of brevity.

FIG. 11 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the device 100 cut alongthe A-A line of FIG. 1 (or FIG. 2), according to another embodiment. Inthis embodiment, the MDL fin 114 b is narrower than the MDL fin 114 aalong the X direction. For example, the dielectric layer 136 b may benarrower than the dielectric layer 136 a along the X direction, forexample, by about 20%, while the dielectric layers 134 a and 134 b mayhave substantially the same width. Other aspects of the device 100 inthis embodiment are the same as those in FIGS. 1-6, and are omitted forthe purpose of brevity.

FIG. 12 illustrates a top view of the device 100 according to anotherembodiment. FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate cross-sectional views of thedevice 100 along the E-E line and the F-F line of FIG. 12, respectively.The device 100 in this embodiment is substantially the same as thedevice 100 in FIGS. 7-9 except that the MDL fins 114 c are disposedbetween two n-type FinFETs and between two p-type FinFETs.

FIG. 15 illustrates a top view of the device 100 according to anotherembodiment. FIG. 16 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the device 100along the G-G line of FIG. 15. The device 100 in this embodiment issubstantially the same as the device 100 in FIGS. 7-9 except that thegate structures 118, the isolation structure 116, and the spacers 120extend into the MDL fin 114 c. Referring to FIG. 16, in this embodiment,the gate structures 118 partially overlap with the MDL fin 114 c. Thespace 150 between the adjacent structures 118 and above the dielectriclayer 138 corresponds to an unmasked area during a photolithographyprocess that etches the gate structures 118. Having the wide dielectriclayer 138 provides large design margin for the photolithography process.

FIG. 17 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the device 100 accordingto another embodiment, cut along the length of the gate structures 118.FIG. 18 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the device 100 of thisembodiment, cut into the S/D area. Referring to FIGS. 17 and 18, thedevice 100 in this embodiment is substantially the same as the device100 in FIGS. 1-6 except that some or all of the cells include multi-finFinFETs. For example, in this embodiment, an n-type FinFET may includetwo semiconductor fins 110, and a p-type FinFET may include twosemiconductor fins 112. The MDL fins 114 a are disposed between asemiconductor fin 110 and a semiconductor fin 112 within a cell. The MDLfins 114 b are disposed between two cells. The S/D epitaxial features122 within the same cell merge into a large epitaxial feature. The S/Depitaxial features 124 within the same cell merge into a large epitaxialfeature. The S/D epitaxial features 122 and 124 from different cells areseparated by the MDL fins 114 a and 114 b.

FIGS. 19 and 20 illustrate cross-sectional views of the device 100 inanother embodiment, along the A-A and B-B lines of FIG. 1 (or FIG. 2),respectively. The device 100 in this embodiment is substantially thesame as the device 100 in FIGS. 1-6 except that the dielectric layers136 a and 136 b are the outer layers of the MDL fins 114 a and 114 brespectively and the dielectric layers 134 a and 134 b are the innerlayers of the MDL fins 114 a and 114 b respectively. As such, the innerlayer is lower than the outer layer in each of the MDL fins 114 a and114 b. FIG. 21 illustrates various dimensions of the MDL fins 114 a and114 b in this embodiment. The various dimensions H_(a-delta),H_(b-delta), H_(a1), H_(a2), H_(b1), H_(b2), T_(a1), T_(a2), T_(b1), andT_(b2) may be the same as those dimensions of the same labels shown inFIG. 5. It is noted that the heights H_(a1) and H_(a2) are measured fromthe bottom of the dielectric layer 136 a and the heights H_(b1) andH_(b2) are measured from the bottom of the dielectric layer 136 b inthis embodiment. Other aspects of the device 100 in this embodiment arethe same as those in FIGS. 1-4, and are omitted for the purpose ofbrevity.

FIG. 22 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the device 100 of anotherembodiment, along the B-B line of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2. The device 100 inthis embodiment is the same as the device 100 shown in FIG. 6 exceptthat the dielectric layers 136 a and 136 b are the outer layers of theMDL fins 114 a and 114 b respectively and the dielectric layers 134 aand 134 b are the inner layers of the MDL fins 114 a and 114 brespectively. The S/D epitaxial features 122 and 124 are grown tomaximum or near-maximum volume. In some instances, the S/D epitaxialfeatures 122 and 124 come into direct contact with the dielectric layers136 a and 136 b.

FIGS. 23 and 24 illustrate cross-sectional views of the device 100 ofanother embodiment, along the C-C line and the D-D line of FIG. 7. Thedevice 100 in this embodiment is the same as the device 100 shown inFIGS. 7-9 with the following differences. The dielectric layers 136 a,136 b, and 136 c are the outer layers of the MDL fins 114 a, 114 b, and114 c respectively. The dielectric layers 134 a, 134 b, and 134 c aredisposed over the dielectric layers 136 a, 136 b, and 136 crespectively. The dielectric layer 138 is disposed over the dielectriclayer 134 c in the MDL fin 114 c. The top surfaces of the dielectriclayers 134 c and 138 are about the same, which is lower than the topsurface of the dielectric layer 136 c.

FIG. 25 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the device 100 of anotherembodiment, along the A-A line of FIG. 1. The device 100 of thisembodiment is the same as the device 100 shown in FIG. 10 except thatthe dielectric layers 136 a and 136 b are the outer layers of the MDLfins 114 a and 114 b respectively and the dielectric layers 134 a and134 b are the inner layers of the MDL fins 114 a and 114 b respectively.The MDL fins 114 b are wider than the MDL fins 114 a along the Xdirection. For example, the dielectric layer 134 b may be wider than thedielectric layer 134 a along the X direction, for example, by about 20%,while the dielectric layers 136 a and 136 b may have substantially thesame width.

FIG. 26 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the device 100 of anotherembodiment, along the A-A line of FIG. 1. The device 100 of thisembodiment is the same as the device 100 shown in FIG. 11 except thatthe dielectric layers 136 a and 136 b are the outer layers of the MDLfins 114 a and 114 b respectively and the dielectric layers 134 a and134 b are the inner layers of the MDL fins 114 a and 114 b respectively.The MDL fins 114 a are wider than the MDL fins 114 b along the Xdirection. For example, the dielectric layer 134 a may be wider than thedielectric layer 134 b along the X direction, for example, by about 20%,while the dielectric layers 136 a and 136 b may have substantially thesame width.

FIG. 27 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the device 100 of anotherembodiment, along the E-E line of FIG. 12. The device 100 of thisembodiment is the same as the device 100 shown in FIG. 13 except thefollowing differences. In this embodiment, the dielectric layers 136 a,136 b, and 136 c are the outer layers of the MDL fins 114 a, 114 b, and114 c respectively. The dielectric layers 134 a, 134 b, and 134 c aredisposed over the dielectric layers 136 a, 136 b, and 136 crespectively. The dielectric layer 138 is disposed over the dielectriclayer 134 c in the MDL fins 114 c. The top surfaces of the dielectriclayers 134 c and 138 are about the same, which is lower than the topsurface of the dielectric layer 136 c.

FIG. 28 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the device 100 of anotherembodiment, along the G-G line of FIG. 15. The device 100 of thisembodiment is the same as the device 100 shown in FIG. 16 except thefollowing differences. In this embodiment, the dielectric layers 136 a,136 b, and 136 c are the outer layers of the MDL fins 114 a, 114 b, and114 c respectively. The dielectric layers 134 a, 134 b, and 134 c aredisposed over the dielectric layers 136 a, 136 b, and 136 crespectively. The dielectric layer 138 is disposed over the dielectriclayer 134 c in the MDL fins 114 c. The top surfaces of the dielectriclayers 134 c and 138 are about the same, which is lower than the topsurface of the dielectric layer 136 c.

FIG. 29 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the device 100 accordingto another embodiment, cut along the length of the gate structures 118.FIG. 30 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the device 100 of thisembodiment, cut into the S/D area. The device 100 in this embodiment issubstantially the same as the device 100 shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 exceptthat the dielectric layers 136 a and 136 b are the outer layers of theMDL fins 114 a and 114 b respectively and the dielectric layers 134 aand 134 b are the inner layers of the MDL fins 114 a and 114 brespectively.

Although not intended to be limiting, one or more embodiments of thepresent disclosure provide many benefits to a semiconductor device. Forexample, embodiments of the present disclosure providemulti-dielectric-layer (MDL) fins as dummy fins inserted between activesemiconductor fins for improving fin density uniformity and forisolating adjacent semiconductor fins and adjacent gate structures. Eachof the MDL fins includes a lower-dielectric-constant layer and ahigher-dielectric-constant layer. The lower-dielectric-constant layerhelps reduce coupling capacitance between adjacent gate structures. Thehigher-dielectric-constant layer provides high etch resistivity duringetching processes, thereby providing high dummy fins for isolatingnearby S/D epitaxial features. Due to the presence of the MDL fins, theS/D epitaxial features can be grown to maximum or near-maximum volume,which increases strain to the channel and increases S/D contact landingarea for reduced S/D contact resistance.

In one exemplary aspect, the present disclosure is directed to asemiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a substrate;semiconductor fins over the substrate and oriented lengthwise along afirst direction; first multi-dielectric-layer (MDL) fins and second MDLfins over the substrate and oriented lengthwise along the firstdirection; and gate structures oriented lengthwise along a seconddirection generally perpendicular to the first direction. The first andthe second MDL fins are intermixed with the semiconductor fins. Each ofthe first MDL fins and the second MDL fins includes an outer dielectriclayer and an inner dielectric layer. The outer dielectric layer and theinner dielectric layer have different dielectric materials. The gatestructures are spaced from each other along the first direction, and areseparated by the first MDL fins along the second direction. The gatestructures engage the semiconductor fins and the second MDL fins.

In an embodiment of the semiconductor device, the outer dielectric layerof the second MDL fins is taller than the outer dielectric layer of thefirst MDL fins. In another embodiment, the inner dielectric layer of thesecond MDL fins is taller than the inner dielectric layer of the firstMDL fins.

In an embodiment, a dielectric material of the outer dielectric layer ofthe first and the second MDL fins has a lower dielectric constant than adielectric material of the inner dielectric layer of the first and thesecond MDL fins. In a further embodiment, the dielectric material of theouter dielectric layer of the first and the second MDL fins has adielectric constant equal to or less than 5, and the dielectric materialof the inner dielectric layer of the first and the second MDL fins has adielectric constant equal to or greater than 7. In another furtherembodiment, a top surface of the inner dielectric layer of the first MDLfins is higher than a top surface of the outer dielectric layer of thefirst MDL fins, and a top surface of the inner dielectric layer of thesecond MDL fins is higher than a top surface of the outer dielectriclayer of the second MDL fins.

In an embodiment, a dielectric material of the outer dielectric layer ofthe first and the second MDL fins has a higher dielectric constant thana dielectric material of the inner dielectric layer of the first and thesecond MDL fins. In a further embodiment, the dielectric material of theinner dielectric layer of the first and the second MDL fins has adielectric constant equal to or less than 5, and the dielectric materialof the outer dielectric layer of the first and the second MDL fins has adielectric constant equal to or greater than 7. In another furtherembodiment, a top surface of the inner dielectric layer of the first MDLfins is lower than a top surface of the outer dielectric layer of thefirst MDL fins, and a top surface of the inner dielectric layer of thesecond MDL fins is lower than a top surface of the outer dielectriclayer of the second MDL fins.

In another embodiment, the first MDL fins are wider than the second MDLfins along the second direction. In some embodiments, the first MDL finsinclude one more dielectric layer than the second MDL fins.

In an embodiment, the semiconductor device further includes a third MDLfin over the substrate and oriented lengthwise along the firstdirection, wherein the third MDL fin includes one more dielectric layerthan the first and the second MDL fins. In another embodiment, thesemiconductor device further includes epitaxial S/D features havingtheir widths confined by the adjacent first and second MDL fins alongthe second direction.

In another exemplary aspect, the present disclosure is directed to asemiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a substrate;semiconductor fins over the substrate and oriented lengthwise along afirst direction; first multi-dielectric-layer (MDL) fins and second MDLfins over the substrate and oriented lengthwise along the firstdirection; and gate structures oriented lengthwise along a seconddirection generally perpendicular to the first direction. Some of thesemiconductor fins are of N-conductivity type, and some of thesemiconductor fins are of P-conductivity type. Each of the first MDLfins is positioned between two of the semiconductor fins that are of asame conductivity type, and each of the second MDL fins is positionedbetween two of the semiconductor fins that are of opposite conductivitytypes. Each of the first MDL fins and the second MDL fins includes anouter dielectric layer and an inner dielectric layer, wherein the outerdielectric layer includes a first dielectric material, and the innerdielectric layer includes a second dielectric material that has adifferent dielectric constant than the first dielectric material. Thegate structures are spaced from each other along the first direction,and are separated by the first MDL fins along the second direction,wherein the gate structures engage the semiconductor fins and the secondMDL fins.

In an embodiment of the semiconductor device, the first dielectricmaterial has a dielectric constant equal to or less than 5, and thesecond dielectric material has a dielectric constant equal to or greaterthan 7. In an embodiment, the second dielectric material has adielectric constant equal to or less than 5, and the first dielectricmaterial has a dielectric constant equal to or greater than 7. In yetanother embodiment, the first MDL fins and the second MDL fins areplaced alternatingly along the second direction, and there is only onesemiconductor fin between two adjacent first and second MDL fins. In yetanother embodiment, the first MDL fins and the second MDL fins areplaced alternatingly along the second direction, wherein two or moresemiconductor fins of a same conductivity type are positioned betweentwo adjacent first and second MDL fins.

In yet another exemplary aspect, the present disclosure is directed to asemiconductor device that includes a substrate and CMOS cells formedover the substrate. Each CMOS cell includes an N-conductivity typesemiconductor fin and a P-conductivity type semiconductor fin orientedlengthwise along a first direction and further includes a firstmulti-dielectric-layer (MDL) fin oriented lengthwise along the firstdirection and positioned between the N-conductivity type and theP-conductivity type semiconductor fins. Each CMOS cell further includesa gate structure engaging the N-conductivity type and the P-conductivitytype semiconductor fins and the first MDL fin. The semiconductor devicefurther includes second MDL fins over the substrate, oriented lengthwisealong the first direction, and positioned between the CMOS cells. Eachof the first MDL fins and the second MDL fins includes an outerdielectric layer and an inner dielectric layer. The outer dielectriclayer includes a first dielectric material, and the inner dielectriclayer includes a second dielectric material that has a differentdielectric constant than the first dielectric material.

In an embodiment of the semiconductor device, the first dielectricmaterial has a dielectric constant equal to or less than 5, and thesecond dielectric material has a dielectric constant equal to or greaterthan 7.

The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that those ofordinary skill in the art may better understand the aspects of thepresent disclosure. Those of ordinary skill in the art should appreciatethat they may readily use the present disclosure as a basis fordesigning or modifying other processes and structures for carrying outthe same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages of theembodiments introduced herein. Those of ordinary skill in the art shouldalso realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from thespirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that they may makevarious changes, substitutions, and alterations herein without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A semiconductor device, comprising: a substrate;a first fin, a second fin, and a third fin over the substrate andoriented lengthwise along a first direction; a first dielectric fin overthe substrate and oriented lengthwise along the first direction, whereinthe first dielectric fin is disposed between the first fin and thesecond fin and wherein the first dielectric fin comprises: an outerdielectric layer formed of a first dielectric material, and an innerdielectric layer formed of a second dielectric material different fromthe first dielectric material; a second dielectric fin over thesubstrate and oriented lengthwise along the first direction, wherein thesecond dielectric fin is disposed between the second fin and the thirdfin and wherein the second dielectric fin comprises: the outerdielectric layer, a low-k dielectric layer, and the inner dielectriclayer disposed between the outer dielectric layer and the low-kdielectric layer; and a first gate structure oriented lengthwise along asecond direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the firstgate structure is disposed over the first fin, the first dielectric fin,the second fin, and a portion of the second dielectric fin andterminates over the low-k dielectric layer of the second dielectric fin.2. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the inner dielectriclayer is taller than the outer dielectric layer.
 3. The semiconductordevice of claim 2, where a dielectric constant of the second dielectricmaterial is greater than a dielectric constant of the first dielectricmaterial.
 4. The semiconductor device of claim 2, wherein the firstdielectric material comprises silicon oxide, silicon oxycarbide, siliconoxycarbide nitride, or silicon oxynitride, wherein the second dielectricmaterial comprises hafnium oxide, tantalum oxide, titanium oxide,zirconium oxide, aluminum oxide, or yttrium oxide.
 5. The semiconductordevice of claim 1, wherein the outer dielectric layer is taller than theinner dielectric layer.
 6. The semiconductor device of claim 5, where adielectric constant of the first dielectric material is greater than adielectric constant of the second dielectric material.
 7. Thesemiconductor device of claim 5, wherein the first dielectric materialcomprises hafnium oxide, tantalum oxide, titanium oxide, zirconiumoxide, aluminum oxide, or yttrium oxide, wherein the second dielectricmaterial comprises silicon oxide, silicon oxycarbide, silicon oxycarbidenitride, or silicon oxynitride.
 8. The semiconductor device of claim 1,wherein the low-k dielectric layer comprises a third dielectric materialdifferent from the second dielectric material, wherein the thirddielectric material comprises silicon oxide, silicon oxycarbide, siliconoxycarbide nitride, or silicon oxynitride.
 9. The semiconductor deviceof claim 1, further comprising: a second gate structure aligned with andspaced apart from the first gate structure, wherein the second gatestructure terminates over the low-k dielectric layer of the seconddielectric fin.
 10. A semiconductor device, comprising: a substrate; afirst dielectric fin, a second dielectric fin and a third dielectric finover the substrate and oriented lengthwise along a first direction,wherein each of the first dielectric fin, the second dielectric fin andthe third dielectric fin comprises: an outer dielectric layer formed ofa first dielectric material, and an inner dielectric layer formed of asecond dielectric material different from the first dielectric material;a first semiconductor fin over the substrate and oriented lengthwisealong the first direction, the first semiconductor fin being disposedbetween the first dielectric fin and the second dielectric fin; a secondsemiconductor fin over the substrate and oriented lengthwise along thefirst direction, the second semiconductor fin being disposed between thesecond dielectric fin and the third dielectric fin; and a gate structureoriented lengthwise along a second direction perpendicular to the firstdirection, wherein the gate structure comprises a gate dielectric layerdisposed on the first semiconductor fin and the second semiconductor finand a gate electrode layer disposed on the gate dielectric layer,wherein the gate electrode layer is in contact with the inner dielectriclayer and the outer dielectric layer of the second dielectric fin and isspaced apart from the inner dielectric layer of the first dielectric finand the third dielectric fin.
 11. The semiconductor device of claim 10,further comprising: a first epitaxial feature over the firstsemiconductor fin; and a second epitaxial feature over the secondsemiconductor fin, wherein the first epitaxial feature and the secondepitaxial feature are in contact with the inner dielectric layer of thesecond dielectric fin.
 12. The semiconductor device of claim 11, where adielectric constant of the second dielectric material is greater than adielectric constant of the first dielectric material.
 13. Thesemiconductor device of claim 11, wherein the first dielectric materialcomprises silicon oxide, silicon oxycarbide, silicon oxycarbide nitride,or silicon oxynitride, wherein the second dielectric material compriseshafnium oxide, tantalum oxide, titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, aluminumoxide, or yttrium oxide.
 14. The semiconductor device of claim 10,further comprising: a first epitaxial feature over the firstsemiconductor fin; and a second epitaxial feature over the secondsemiconductor fin, wherein the first epitaxial feature and the secondepitaxial feature are in contact with the outer dielectric layer of thesecond dielectric fin.
 15. The semiconductor device of claim 14, where adielectric constant of the first dielectric material is greater than adielectric constant of the second dielectric material.
 16. Thesemiconductor device of claim 14, wherein the first dielectric materialcomprises hafnium oxide, tantalum oxide, titanium oxide, zirconiumoxide, aluminum oxide, or yttrium oxide, wherein the second dielectricmaterial comprises silicon oxide, silicon oxycarbide, silicon oxycarbidenitride, or silicon oxynitride.
 17. The semiconductor device of claim10, wherein the first semiconductor fin is a p-type semiconductor fin,wherein the second semiconductor fin is an n-type semiconductor fin. 18.A semiconductor device, comprising: a substrate; a first semiconductorfin and a second semiconductor fin over the substrate and orientedlengthwise along a first direction; a first dielectric fin and a seconddielectric fin over the substrate and oriented lengthwise along thefirst direction, each of the first dielectric fin and the seconddielectric fin comprising: an outer dielectric layer formed of a firstdielectric material, and an inner dielectric layer formed of a seconddielectric material different from the first dielectric material; afirst gate structure oriented lengthwise along a second directionperpendicular to the first direction, wherein the first gate structurecomprises a first gate dielectric layer disposed on the firstsemiconductor fin and a first gate electrode layer disposed on the firstgate dielectric layer and the first dielectric fin; and a second gatestructure oriented lengthwise along the second direction, wherein thesecond gate structure comprises a second gate dielectric layer disposedon the second semiconductor fin and a second gate electrode layerdisposed on the second gate dielectric layer, wherein the first gatestructure is spaced apart from the second gate structure by the seconddielectric fin, wherein the first gate electrode layer is in contactwith the outer dielectric layer and the inner dielectric layer of thefirst dielectric fin, wherein each of the first gate electrode layer andthe second gate electrode layer is contact with the outer dielectriclayer of the second dielectric fin and is spaced apart from the innerdielectric layer of the second dielectric fin.
 19. The semiconductordevice of claim 18, further comprising: a first epitaxial feature overthe first semiconductor fin; and a second epitaxial feature over thesecond semiconductor fin, wherein the first epitaxial feature and thesecond epitaxial feature are in contact with the inner dielectric layerof the second dielectric fin, wherein the first dielectric material hasa dielectric constant equal to or less than 5, and the second dielectricmaterial has a dielectric constant equal to or greater than
 7. 20. Thesemiconductor device of claim 18, further comprising: a first epitaxialfeature over the first semiconductor fin; and a second epitaxial featureover the second semiconductor fin, wherein the first epitaxial featureand the second epitaxial feature are in contact with the outerdielectric layer of the second dielectric fin, wherein the firstdielectric material has a dielectric constant equal to or less than 7,and the second dielectric material has a dielectric constant equal to orgreater than 5.